10 Days in Colombia Itinerary

Welcome to the 10 Days in Colombia Itinerary!

This 10 days in Colombia itinerary will cover three main cities – Bogota, Medellin, and Cartagena. It is a great itinerary to get a feel for a few different cities throughout the country and to learn more about what they have to offer. Along the way there will be plenty of activities to take part of from incredible viewpoints to paragliding above the city to getting massaged in a volcano, and much, much more.

Before diving into the itinerary be sure to check out the Colombia helpful tips guide I put together to better prepare you for your trip.

Need a place to stay in Colombia? Browse through some hotel options by city:

Map View

Take a look at the map below which shows you where each city that is part of this itinerary is located throughout the country. The trip begins in Bogota, before going north to Medellin and finally onwards to the coastal city of Cartagena. Note that the route can also be done backwards as well.

10 Days in Colombia Detailed Itinerary

​Now lets get on to the actual trip! The following is a detailed breakout of the daily attractions and activities on this 10 days in Colombia itinerary. Feel free to scroll through and click on any more in depth posts along the way.

Day 1 – Bogota

The first day in Bogota will take you through the historical district, hitting the top museums, plazas and viewpoints. You will follow that with an off the grid local game called Tejo and a nightcap at the one and only Andres Carne de Res. Check out the 6 things to do in Bogotaguide that will give you all you need to know about the day. The guide goes over the following 6 things:

Day 2 – Bogota & Flight to Medellin

Your second day in Bogota could comprise of a number of things. It all depends though when you decide to fly out to Medellin. Here is an idea of a few options that can be done on day 2.

1)Zona Rosa: If you are staying in Zona Rosa you can spend some time around there hitting the shops, malls, restaurants and outdoor spaces. If you have an afternoon flight to Medellin and are catching up on some sleep from the previous night at Andres, it can be a great option. Walking around Zona Rosa/Zona T you will find plenty of high end shopping to do and a huge mall (Centro Andino) that you can stroll through. If you are into gambling at all you can stop by a one of the casinos around the area and play some games around there. The minimums at these tables are very cheap, somewhere around $3-$5 a hand.

2) Trip to the Salt Cathedral: the Salt Cathedral is about an hour away from the city. Here you will find a huge underground cathedral in a salt mine. Depending on what time you wake up/what time your flight is you could definitely make it there and back in about 4-5 hours if you hire a driver for the day (your hotel can help set this up for you).

3) Graffiti Tour – free tour of the city given twice a day where you can see all the beautiful artwork that Bogota has to offer on its streets.

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Nidya Rincón / Wikimedia Commons

A few other options if you have a full day available:

1) Salt Cathedral combo with Lake Guatavita (legend of El Dorado lake) – you can either join a tour or hire a driver for the day that can take you around both places

2) Parque Natural Chicaque– a beautiful natural park where you get away from the craziness of city life and enjoy some nice hiking, viewpoints and relaxation

3) La Chorrea Waterfall – another hiking opportunity in the mountains of Bogota

​Day 3 – Medellin / Parque Arvi & Jardin Botanique

​On the morning of your first day in Medellin you will get head up the cable car system of Medellin and into Parque Arvi. In order to do so you will head to the Acevedo station, the base of the first of two cable cars, which will take you all the way up above the city to the Santa Domingo station. On this first car you will get amazing views of the entire city of Medellin to the north, west, and south. Once you get to the Santa Domingo station follow the signs to the Parque Arvi cable car. This cable car takes you even higher up the mountain and into the forest and eventually to the park itself.

​Depending on how much time you have in Arvi you can do a bunch of different things – everything from hiking, walking tours, ziplining and more. There are also a few outdoor restaurants and bars at the entrance along with a market filled with different local cuisine.

It is now time to make your way back to the city. Once you have taken the two cable cars back down head on over to Jardin Botanique. If you have not had lunch yet you can do so at the restaurant inside of the gardens. You can then spend some time to walk around the gardens and enjoy the wildlife. There are huge iguanas just hanging out all around, plenty of different birds by the lake area and even a butterfly habitat. It is a pretty relaxing place to check out that’s just right in the middle of this busy city.

Day 4 – Medellin / Paragliding & El Centro

Day 4 is going to be an exciting one if you are a thrill seeker. About 40 minutes north of the Poblado area is San Felix – the main paragliding area of Medellin. Here you will find yourself high up in the mountains above the entire city. For more info regarding a morning of paragliding take a look at the Paragliding Medellinguide.

Since you will probably be finished paragliding late morning, you can then head over to El Centro, the historical district of Medellin. If you are into free guided tours, Real City Tourshas one of highest reviewed and well spoken of tours you will come by. They take you to all the main attractions and give you some background and history of the city. The afternoon tour starts at 2:19PM and lasts about 4 hours (must book in advance through the link above). If you aren’t into tours you can also just do it on your own. Follow this map and walk through at your own pace. Note that the walking tour isn’t available on Sunday.

El Centro is filled with plenty of different types of experiences. You have everything including Alpujarro, Parque de le Lucas, the National Palace, El Hueco, Museo de Antioquia, Botero Plaza, and Parque Bolivar. It really is just a great couple miles of authentic Medellin, seeing the past and present and enjoying the city. Once you are finished with either your guided or non guided tour hop in a cab back to your hotel to end your day.

Check out some helpful Colombia guides to prepare you for your trip!

Day 5 – Day Trip to El Penol/Guatape

A two hour drive from Medellin lay the towns of El Penol and Guatape. In the middle of the two is a massive rock formation called La Piedra de Penol that will give you one of the best views in Colombia. I put together a Day Trip to Guatape and El Penol Guide that can get you ready for this part of the trip.

Day 6 – Medellin & Flight to Cartagena

​This day will all depend when you leave for Cartagena. If you are leaving in the morning you won’t have much time to do anything. If your flight is in the afternoon, feel free to sleep in a bit after a few very busy days and then walk around the Poblado area and Parque Lleras. You can also head to any attraction that you have not been able to yet.

Next make your way to the airport, catch your flight and then land in the coastal city of Cartagena. You will see it right away how different Cartagena is from the other two cities. While it will clearly be more touristy, it is also such a great city to walk around and enjoy. The walled city feels like an old European town, with great restaurants, bars and squares throughout. If you are into the nightlife scene then you will definitely find a place around the walled city that will suit your needs.

Day 7 – Cartagena / Mud Volcano

You can spend the next morning walking the old city, exploring all the twists and turns. It really is a great place to just walk around and get lost in. After having some lunch you can then head to the Mud Volcano also known as El Totumo. Check out the El Totumo Mud Volcano Guide for all you need to know regarding a do it yourself option.

Day 8 – Cartagena / Out at Sea

Your next day you will hit the waters of the Caribbean Sea. There are many different options to look into. You can take a day trip to Playa Blanca and/or the Rosario Islands with any tour company. You can also rent a boat and explore a whole bunch of places out at sea. The Renting a Boat in Cartagena Guide will go over that option. The guide goes over things such as snorkeling the Rosario Islands, having lunch at Cholon, and relaxing at Playa Blanca.

Day 9 – Cartagena

​Your last full day in Cartagena you can do some more strolling around, relaxing, and walking the wall before heading out toCastillo de San Felipe de Barajas. If you are staying within the walled city you can take a cab or even walk over (at most 20-30 minutes). It is a huge castle/fort on the east side of the city where you can take in some great viewpoints of Cartagena. There are also tunnels that run throughout that you can walk through. You can either just walk around by yourself or use a tour guide who can give more insight into the history of the place. Either way it was a great site to see and probably one of the more popular spots in the city.

Day 10 – Cartagena & Depart Colombia

On day 10 you can spend some of the day relaxing in the city before catching your flight back home. Colombia as a whole has so much to offer and can be tailored to each traveler’s needs. There really is something for everyone out there. Of course there are more cities and attractions to go to but this is to give you a good sense what you can take advantage of in the country’s three main cities. Hope you enjoy your trip!